Across the Oceans
by fatheartsarewhatcounts
Summary: Callie and Arizona's big holiday takes place and something goes wrong. It's set around the beginning of season 8, slightly A/U because in this version, Arizona hasn't won the Carter-Madison Grant, ergo no Sofia.
1. Let's Take Some Time For Us

**A/N I did not create these lovely ladies, nor do I own them. I am just using them to create a story. They are all Shonda's.**

It was a brisk autumn day in downtown Seattle, with the breeze dancing through the air at regular intervals, causing Arizona's blonde locks to twirl around her beautiful face. For a minute, Callie was transfixed at the way the shadows of her curls threw the light around Arizona's perfect lips, but she was abruptly shaken out of her reverie when she realized that Arizona was waiting for her reply.

"Um, Calliope?" Arizona said.

"Sorry, what did you say?" Callie asked. She felt bad for losing her concentration, but she loved her wife and the fact alone that she had such a great woman to call hers, well that was enough to get her lost in her thoughts.

"I was just telling you about my surgery last week - kid with the intestinal perf. Were you listening?" She wondered uncertainly.

"I'm sorry, Arizona. I got lost in your smile. It brightens my day." Callie said earnestly. Arizona blushed, and in spite of herself flashed Callie one of her super magic smiles. Callie grinned. "There it is!" She laughed. She leaned in to hold Arizona's cheek in her hand, just taking in all the beauty that was Arizona Robbins. Arizona softened at her touch, and her hands reached over to lock into Callie's hair. Their lips met and they were both instantly lost in the feeling they each got every time they were with one another. The feeling that everything was complete, and nothing could break the intense bond they shared. A few seconds of this passed, before they were both startled by the sound of Arizona's pager bleeping loudly.

"Crap!" Callie groaned. That sound meant that they were going to have to cut their picnic short.

"I'm sorry, Calliope, but the tiny humans aren't going to fix themselves. This was great though," she said, gesturing around them. Callie had planned a lunch for the two of them in their favorite park that overlooked Seattle to celebrate Arizona's winning of an award. She'd gone all out with the old fashioned picnic basket that her grandmother had given her, Arizona's favorite wine, and of course some pound cake for them to share. Ever since the incident before their big fight, pound cake had been a private joke between the two of them.

"It's okay. I'll come back to the hospital and find some bones to break!" Callie joked. She started picking up their things. Arizona helped, and together they moved swiftly and got everything cleared in record time. They walked back to the car, everything seeming rushed now instead of the way it had been before - perfect, casual and fun, but at the same time filled with meaning and love. That was how it was when you got a page, though. You put down everything and go answer it, because someone's life could be hanging in the balance. This was the norm for the two surgeons. Arizona was determined to hang on to some of the previous passion, though, and to show Callie that she really did love the picnic. So she grabbed Callie's hand as she was about to pull out of the car park and held it to her lips, saying everything with that simple gesture.

"It was beautiful. Just like you." She murmured. Callie turned to her and again, their lips found each other's. It was very intense, but since they were in a rush, it was over all too quickly, because as previously mentioned, they really had to go.

After their shifts, they met at the elevator to go home. Arizona's heart skipped a beat when she saw Callie, as it normally did. When the doors closed, and they were finally alone, Arizona spoke.

"How was your day, Calliope?" She asked.  
"Had back to back surgeries all afternoon. I love the rush it gives me. It was like after you agreed to move in with me, and the whole time you're riding this high and you feel like you can do anything. I swear, it was nearly as fun as being with you." Arizona smiled. She loved the way that, without even trying, Callie melted her heart. How Callie would talk about how Arizona made her feel as if it made perfect sense for her to feel that way. The elevator doors dinged open and they walked out onto the first floor towards the exit, hands entwined. They passed Mark and Lexie sitting in the waiting room together, obviously savoring a few moments in their otherwise busy days. Callie smiled at them and then she and Arizona walked out the front door. On the drive home, she noticed that Arizona seemed kind of quite. "Everything ok?" She asked.

"Oh, it's fine… I was just thinking."  
"About what, sweetie?"

"Well, we both have some days off left in the year, and since it's nearly over, I think we should take a trip. You know, just have some time to ourselves. To really be together."  
Callie was taken off guard. She had not expected her wife to say that. However, the more she thought about it, the better an idea it seemed.  
"Sounds good. How about you plan it?" Callie suggested.  
"Sure! Oh, I'm excited now. It'll be awesome. Oh, oh my god, we should go to Paris. Or Spain. Yes, we can go to Germany!" Arizona's bright and shiny personality made Callie chuckle. It was so bubbly and full of life, and it lit up her world. They pulled onto the curb in front of their apartment, and got out of the car. As they strolled up the hall together, they were discussing all the places they could think of, trying to decide for their trip. Arizona's glee and excitement were starting to spread to Callie now, so the pair of them were both giggling and talking animatedly to one another.

"Italy would definitely be great, because we could just drink wine and eat pasta the whole time!" said Arizona. This made Callie stop for a second, looking her wife up and down.

"What?" asked Arizona indignantly.

"Well, you know how wine makes you get after a while," Callie raises one eyebrow. What her wife is saying sinks in to Arizona and she laughs.

"Calliope." She says. Callie then grabs the side of her jacket and pulls her closer. Callie's lips crush themselves against Arizona's and they stumble into the apartment, remaining molded to each other the whole time.

After that night, the 3 weeks until their trip went by in a blur of blood, bones and smiles for Arizona and Callie. Before they knew it, Arizona was waking up her wife on the day of their departure.

"Come on, Callie, it's time to get up and get on the plane!" She said.  
Callie grumbled into the pillow.

"5 more minutes, please!" she groaned.  
Arizona grimaced. She knew Callie wasn't much of a morning person. Aside from the obvious requirements of being a doctor - having to wake up and work whenever, Callie didn't really appreciate being pulled out of her dreams. But there was always an exception when Arizona was involved, as she'd learnt over the years, so she rolled Callie onto her back and gave her a very quick but passionate kiss to awake her. Callie's eyes fluttered open and she smiled at Arizona.

"A good morning quickie to start our vacation with a bang?" she asked Arizona hopefully. Arizona shook her head, a grave look on her face.

"We can't miss our plane, Calliope." She warned. Callie frowned, but grinned at her wife. She loved waking up next to her. The next 25 minutes went by very quickly, consisting mostly of last minute packing additions, a hot shower (to which Arizona stayed true to her word, not wanting to fall behind schedule, but there was still a bit of a make out session because they were only human), and the speedy consumption of coffee and blueberry bagels. By 7.00 a.m. they were locking the apartment and making their way to the car. By 7.45 they were at the airport. They left Seattle around 8.30, and landed in Rome around 10.00 p.m., but in Rome it was 7.00 a.m. the next day. They got a taxi and made their way to the hotel.

"Wow, Arizona, this is beautiful!" Callie said as they walked into their suite. She looked around. There was a great view of the town out the windows, which had hand-carved embellishments all around their frames. The theme of the room was old fashioned but arty, and there was a chandelier dangling above the bed. It was not tacky, though, rather it seemed like a timeless treasure. Through one door, Callie could see a deluxe bathroom, and through another she caught a glimpse of a living/dining room. It was beautiful, with an antique table set for two with matching chairs in one corner; old, puffy and comfortable looking couches that looked like they'd just come out of an vintage Italian movie; and a grand piano. Atop the old table was a single lilly in a vase. Callie's eyes narrowed and she looked back at Arizona who was starting to unpack their things. Had Arizona asked them to put Callie's favorite flower there? The little things that Arizona did for her touched her heart, and Callie felt warmth wash through her from the very core of her being. She continued on her little tour. The whole suit was colored in earthly greens, rich browns and reds, and subtle hints of gold. This would have normally repelled Callie, but in here it worked just right. It was funny to her, because it seemed like a mix of Arizona and Callie's styles. The result was great. She wandered back to Arizona, and rubbed her back in a way that always soothed her.

"This suite is amazing. I can't believe how great a planner you are. The whole vacation is going to be perfect." Arizona smiled at her words.

"You really like it?" She asked eagerly.  
"Yeah I do!" Said Callie.  
"Lots?" Arizona wondered.  
"Yes, Arizona. Is this going anywhere?"

"Would you say it's…. Awesome?"  
Callie groaned. "Okay, honey. It's," She grimaced, "awesome. God I hate using that word."  
Arizona beamed, satisfied with herself for the time being. Callie couldn't help but smile with her. Arizona went to sit on the bed beside Callie.

"Wow, this is comfy. It's going to make fighting the jet lag even harder when we have such a great bed a few seconds away." Arizona complained.  
"I know a way to keep ourselves awake." Callie whispered. Arizona turned to face her, and Callie winked at her wife.

"There's no plane to catch now!" Callie exclaimed and pulled Arizona into her arms.  
"All right!" Arizona said, and together they put the bed to it's _other_ use.


	2. Losing Control

**A/N I did not create these lovely ladies, nor do I own them. I am just using them to create a story. They are all Shonda's.**

After the first couple of days in their vacation, Callie was amazed at her wife. Arizona had really done her homework for the trip. When asked about it, Arizona simply said, "I want to have a wonderful vacation with my wonderful wife. Calliope, I love you. Now is that a good enough reason?"

They'd had a lovely time in their first few days away. They'd gone to the beach for one day and just enjoyed the sun on their faces, some great drinks, and the clear, blue sea. The next day, they'd gone to all the touristy sites, like the Trevi Fountain and the other days were a mix of wine tastings, luscious restaurants, and trips to see the countryside. Callie's favorite had been when they did a very simple thing together. They spent an afternoon at Villa Borghese, a wonderful park, the largest in Rome. Their time there made it onto Callie's top ten days with Arizona, because they spent it lying on a picnic rug with gourmet pizza, olives and wine. It was one of those times that you spend with someone that afterwards makes you glow. It was during this that Callie realized how lucky she was. As she stared into her wife's piercingly beautiful blue eyes, she knew that she had everything a person could ask for lying across her lap. As Callie caressed Arizona's cheek, she knew the feelings were reciprocated from the way Arizona smiled every time Callie touched her. A bright, dazzling smile with her dimples showing. Callie felt like she could watch Arizona's face forever. They stayed in that park, which could only be described as magical, until it was dark. The night did amazing things to the view. It'd gone from charming to wondrous, a place full of magic where anything can happen.

When they got back to their hotel on the sixth night, they decided to stay in for dinner. They ordered room service from the exquisite menu full of wonderful dishes that you'd never think of but actually taste great, and enjoyed a nice, quiet and snuggly dinner on the balcony of their room. They were enchanted with a view of Rome at night, an artwork of lights. It was beautiful. The rest of the night was spent in each other's arms, trying to fulfill the need that they had for one another, never slowing in it's growth, never dulling. They were halves of a whole. And they loved it that way.

Arizona's eyes fluttered open the next morning, taking in the rays of sunlight that flitted through the windows, dancing across the golden bedspread, making it look magical as it softly shimmered in the morning sun. She looked around the room with her searing blue eyes, her gaze falling upon the figure curled up in her arms. She wound her arms even more closely around the brunette and sighed contently. Her Callie was all she wanted, all she needed, yet at the same time better than any of Arizona's wildest dreams, and perfect beyond measure. She nuzzled her face in Callie's hair, whispering to her wife.

"You are my all, you know that? Calliope, I love you with all of my heart. All of my existence. I would not be a fraction of as happy as I am now if it weren't for you in my life. You are my sunshine."

What she hadn't known is that her wife woke up just before she started talking. Callie turned into her wife and gave her the most dazzling smile she could muster. Arizona was startled momentarily.

"You're awake!" She gasped. Callie laughed.

"Yes, I am. But you have my permission to keep talking. Just pretend like I'm still asleep."

Arizona chuckled at her wife. Callie giggled along with her, but suddenly her expression turned serious.

"You know that I feel the same for you, though? You are everything, you are perfect. I need you more than I need oxygen. You intoxicate me, and fill me to the brim with joy."

Arizona's heart lifted at the brunette's words. Even after more than two years of being in love with her Calliope, and even though she knew Callie's feelings for her, Callie saying all those things…. It just made her feel like nothing could stop the fire that Callie lit on her heart. Arizona grinned widely, thus making Callie's features break into an amazing smile. As the two sat looking at each other, they felt like lovestruck teenagers. But a thousand times more passionate. And the need they felt for each other was a thousand times stronger. Callie sat up, untangling herself from Arizona's arms and crossing her legs on the bed. She gently pulled the blond's body towards her, lying it down on the bed with Arizona's head in her lap. She brushed her fingers through her wife's hair, caressing her face, massaging her head and twirling her hair in her fingers. All the while, Callie was repeating in a soft voice,

"tú eres mi amor. tienes mi corazón. tú eres mi mundo. Yo nunca te dejaré. Nunca dejaré de amarte. tú eres mío, yo soy tuyo."

Arizona's whole body relaxed as it always did whenever Callie did this, but at the same time she was becoming increasingly turned on. Callie speaking Spanish always had that affect on her. It was the way the words flowed off her tongue, perfectly articulated and accented, in a rough voice that made Arizona's skin tingle. After a few minutes, Arizona couldn't take it anymore, sitting up quickly and twisting her body around to face her wife. Their eyes met and Callie laughed at the intensity of Arizona's gaze and how her wife seemed to be having a hard time keeping her eyes trained on Callie's face. They kept wandering south… Callie suddenly became as consumed as Arizona was by passion. Their whole room could have burnt down, and they wouldn't have noticed. At the current point, they had only eyes for each other, and their only needs were similar to that of a hormonal 17-year-old. They wanted each other. Callie's fingers made their way to Arizona's hair, pulling her wife towards her, and taking control. Their lips crashed into each other's, and Arizona's hands made their way to Callie's hips. Callie moaned into Arizona as her wife's hands brushed across the skin of her back and went downwards.

For lunch that day, they decided to go to a cafe they'd found in downtown Rome, nestled between a florist and a small art gallery. It was beautiful. Afterwards, they made their way back to the hotel to begin their packing as they were making their journey home the next day. Callie was in the main room, packing their clothes, and Arizona was in the bathroom, getting all their toiletries and makeup assembled. Callie sighed as she looked out the window, realizing how much she'd miss the lovely Rome. Arizona's holiday for them had gone perfectly. Arizona was perfect. Callie looked down at the clothes she was packing and saw that they were Arizona's. She smiled to herself at her wife's style, which Callie absolutely loved. Especially when she was ripping it off….. A crash brought Callie out of her thoughts, but she brushed it off thinking that Arizona must have just dropped something insignificant. It wasn't until she heard the panicked tones of the blonde that she knew something was wrong.

"Colllopy….. Celllliy! Heewp!" Arizona screamed. Callie rushed into the bathroom and saw her wife on the floor next to the toilet, next to a bottle of perfume laying smashed on the ground near the sink, with it's contents spilled all over the place. _That explains the sound, _Callie thought as she ran over to her wife. Arizona had her right hand over her face, and the whole left side of her body seemed to be limp.

"Arizona…. Honey, what's wrong? What's going on?" Callie asked. She gently pulled Arizona's face away from her hand and saw that half of her face was drooping down. A lone tear was trickling down her face and her eyes were filled with fear. She was losing control of her own body, and she'd never experienced anything this terrifying. Comprehension dawned over Callie's features and her medical training took over. She swiftly but still with a lot of care for her wife put Arizona's head against the wall, and got up, sprinting to her phone. She hated to leave her wife, even for a second, when she was going through this, but she knew that they definitely needed to get the blonde to a hospital. She ran back into the bathroom and sat down next to Arizona, for the first time in her life dialing an emergency number. She then put her arm around Arizona, trying to support her even though there wasn't much she could do until the ambulance arrived. She started whispering to Arizona in Spanish as she always did to relax her wife, "acaba de celebrar en la miel. la ayuda está en camino. te quiero. te quiero." And she repeated this until the ambulance get there, whispering and holding on to her world in her arms, trying to remain strong for Arizona. Her Arizona.

**A/N Sorry if I get any medical facts wrong, I've tried my best to do research for the story, so hopefully it won't disappoint. **


	3. The Start Of A Slow Recovery

**A/N I did not create these lovely ladies, nor do I own them. I am just using them to create a story. They are all Shonda's.**

**My apologies for any medical errors, as I'm not a doctor but I've tried my best to make it accurate.**

**Arizona's POV**

Fear is a funny thing. It changes how we see things, it affects the course of action our lives take. I've been scared in my life. I was scared when I came out to family. Or when I heard that my brother had enlisted. Although I was proud of him, I was scared. I was scared out of mind when I lost my only brother, my best friend. When he came home in a coffin and I realized I'd never get to make him laugh again, or embrace him, or punch him in the shoulder ever again. I was also scared in the Seattle Grace Mercy West shooting. And I have been scared every day of losing Callie. I never thought to be scared of losing myself. It just never occurred to me. But the day I had a stroke, I was terrified because not only did it feel like I was losing myself, but I was also losing control. Which, ask any surgeon, is horrifying.

I was humming to myself as I packed to go home after a wonderful vacation with my perfect wife, and all of a sudden it was like an unseen force took over my body. My whole left side went limp and my head was filled with pain. The perfume I'd been holding in my left hand fell to the floor and shattered everywhere. I ran through the symptoms of a stroke in my mind. Weakness in one or two limbs from same side of body; weakness in facial muscles; lack of coordination; dizziness; vision impaired; headache; unconsciousness._ Yep, that's me._ I thought.

I tried to call Callie in to help me, but my speech was slurred and I couldn't form her name properly. I put my face in my hand, and half of it felt strange, like it was sagging down. I started to cry. I'd never felt anything like what I was going through. I couldn't see properly. Callie had come to my aid by that time, and was organizing an ambulance. After that, she embraced me and started whispering to me. I could tell she was struggling, but she was remaining strong for me. She's my rock. In that situation, Callie was my one comfort. The last thing I heard before I went unconscious was her telling me that she loved me in Spanish. I remember wishing I could have told her that it was alright, that everything would be okay, that we'd get through this, and that I loved her too.

I awoke in a hospital bed. I looked around to find Callie watching me from her seat which had been pulled right next to the bed. She was holding my hand. I tried to smile, but only managing with half of my face, so it must have come out looking like a strange grimace. "Sor- Surrey aboot yur purfume." I said. _Oh god, _I thought, _my speech is still slurred. Oh no._

**Callie's POV**

"Honey, it's fine. Don't you dare worry about my perfume." I told Arizona, plastering a smile on my face so she wouldn't stress herself. I couldn't believe that she was being so selfless after she'd suffered a stroke. "You just need to focus on feeling better. We're going to get you moved back to Seattle as soon as your tests all come back and we can confirm that you'll be stable for the trip. Which of course you will be, because you're a rockstar. And then Derek's gonna take care of you and we're going to get you into physical and speech therapy. And soon you will be all better, and you'll be a hardcore surgeon again and we'll grow old together." Arizona's eyes widened and I think she realized how this was going to affect her career. My heart melted as tears started trickling down her face. She looked so helpless in the hospital bed. She started to speak again, and this time, she took her time to get the words out to sound as normal as possible.

"What… if i… can't….. Ooparate," she tried again, "Orperat…. No, erporate. No!" Her face screwed up in anger and she was growing more and more frustrated with herself for not being able to achieve that one word. That one word which was a huge part of our lives. Her tears came more freely and quickly now, she was getting so worked up and it killed me to see her this way and not be able to fix her. My ortho knowledge was nothing. I climbed into her bed with her, wrapping my arms around her, trying to comfort her when I couldn't help her. "Honey I am so sorry that I can't fix you. That I can't take away your pain. That I couldn't have made myself have a stroke instead of you. I would have swapped places with you in a heartbeat if I could have saved you from suffering this. But you will get through it. And you **will** be able to operate again. I know it. But just know this: I will love you no matter what. My heart is no longer mine, it's yours. So that means I will do everything in my power to make you happy." Arizona nodded and buried her face in my hair. We remained like that until the doctor came back in.

"So good news," he announced as he marched in. He looked up from Arizona's chart and a sheepish smile dawned over his features. "Sorry, ladies, I didn't mean to interrupt anything." I looked up from Arizona's now peaceful face which I'd been staring at since she had fallen asleep half an hour ago. I smiled at the doctor, and sat up on the bed carefully, so as not to awake my wife.

"Good news?" I asked hopefully.

"Great. Well as good as it can be, considering the ischemic stroke Arizona suffered this afternoon. But anyway, my superior said she could fly back so long as she flies as a patient." He said in a highly accented voice. He smiled. I grinned back at him, glad for the news that I could at least take Arizona somewhere more comforting and familiar so we could begin the long recovery journey ahead.

"Thanks," I said and turned to awake my wife.

**Arizona's POV**

"I've called Derek to explain the situation, so he'll be ready for us at the hospital whenever you're ready to talk to him about it and discuss rehabilitation options. Webber knows what's going on and said take as much time as you need, your job will be waiting when you are back on your feet." Callie paused to take a breath and flopped down next to me on our bed. "So that's what I had to do today done, and now I can enjoy the rest of my day with my beautiful wife! Oh, I forgot, I managed to scrape off two weeks of leave, but I still have to go in for the occasional all-hands-on-deck massive trauma or any extensive surgeries. Other than that, I'm all yours." She said. I smiled at her.

"Thanks. I have just one problem with what you said, though. I'm hardly beautiful, I've still got this strange half-troll-face going on."

Callie's laughter ceased and she looked at me with a serious expression.

"You are the most amazing and glorious looking person I've ever had the luck of seeing." She whispered, and took my face in her hands, kissing first the eyelid of my left eye, then my left cheek, and finally the corner of my lips which was sagging. Her gaze penetrated right through my skin and she locked eyes with mine for a few moments to let her message sink in. She then jumped off the bed and ran to the door of our room, laughing. "Plus, the sagging has gotten a little better. At least it wasn't your boobs. I'd hate to see those hot things go to waste. Or your ass. GOD!" she exclaimed as I threw a pillow at her. She ran out of the room chuckling at her own "wittiness" and I was left to my own thoughts, staring up at the ceiling.

Unconsciously, I tried to lift my left arm as I had developed a habit of doing in the two days since my stroke. I could manage to move it a little, but there was no finger movement or anything of that sort. My left leg was at least better than my arm. I could lift it up and down and move it around, but everything took a lot more effort than usual and the leg was stiff, sore and clumsy when used. It only just qualified as working. The good part was that my speech had recovered with surprising speed and was nearly back to normal with the occasional word mess-up. Callie had been very helpful with getting my words back. I was extremely glad she was there when the stroke happened and managed to get me treated quickly, which meant that not a lot of my brain cells died, and that I'd make a full recovery.

Just as I was thinking this, Callie danced back into the room and placed a tray in front of me. It was laden with fruit and scones with cream and she'd set it up beautifully, using our best plates and cutlery.

"It's ironic that you bring out all the good stuff when I've only got one working hand making me very clumsy thus equalling a rather high risk factor in breakage of china." I said as I tried to keep a frown on my face from the earlier comment she made.

"Don't worry, I'll feed you myself!" She said and then scoffed at my frowning face, "Oh get over it, I'm your wife and I'm allowed to make comments on how hot you are. Plus, we both know my favorite thing about you is your personality, however smoking you may be." She said in her matter-of-fact tone and I couldn't help but grin at her.

"Hypocrite! You should see the way you look just after a shower. Anyone would wanna jump you." I joked.

Callie smiled at me with one eyebrow arched suggestively.

"So… Can you still do… stuff?" She wondered in her sexiest voice.

"What kind of stuff?" I teased. She poked her tongue out at me.

"I'm glad to see your childish humor has remained intact." She said. And then added, "But seriously."

"Well, if you promise to do all the work, I'm sure I'll be able to give it a shot." I joked, as she pulled me to her.

"You know I like it that way." She whispered huskily before her lips met mine, half of which were still affected with by the stroke. I guess she didn't mind, though, because it didn't seem to stop her. She paused briefly when she remembered the tray next to us and lifted it onto the dresser, but then was literally all mine as she'd promised earlier.

**A/N Hope you guys enjoyed these last couple of chapters. Sorry about the uneven update timing, I just wanted to get this up as soon I wrote it. May all who are reading this have a good rest of night/day! Adios for now. **


	4. I Can Be Hardcore!

**A/N I did not create these lovely ladies, nor do I own them. I am just using them to create a story. They are all Shonda's.**

**Arizona's POV**

"Heya Robbins, Torres," Mark called as Callie and I walked through the hospital. Well, she walked and I did my awkward hobble that I'd developed. He caught up with us at the elevators with a grin on his face. "It's great to see you up and about!" He said in an overly enthusiastic voice, turning to me. I grimaced.

"Yep." I uttered halfheartedly. He leaned in to give me a hug, which I returned with my one functional arm. I could tell he was trying to make me feel happy in my "condition" because Mark Sloan has never tried to hug me before. Callie, too, could see it, and hit him playfully on the arm to ease the tension she could feel emanating from me. "How's it going, Sloan?" she asked.

"Great, I just came out of a rhinoplasty on a 13-year-old who was born with an abnormal cartilage amount in her nose, and boy, did I totally rock it. I was like an artist…." He continued to chatter on but I found myself drowning it out because it was too painful for me to hear about surgeries right now… especially on children. God, I would have been in there with him if I had been working. Tears welled up in my eyes, and once again Callie noticed and came to the rescue, making a big show of looking at her watch.

"Sorry, Mark, but I just realized that it's eight past twelve and we've got a meeting with Derek in two minutes. Let's get going, sweetie," she said, interlacing her fingers with mine. I shot her a small smile of gratitude.

"That's fine, I'll walk you up there." He responded, as always quite oblivious to women emotions. "It's all good," Callie said.

"No seriously-" Mark began but was cut off with a meaningful glare from Callie, and with that we walked into the ready elevators.

"Bye, Mark." I called as the doors dinged shut.

Once alone with Callie, I started to really break down. She pulled me into her arms and held me, only removing an arm from around me to push the emergency button to stop the elevator. When it slowed to a halt she gently sat us down against the wall and I sobbed into her chest, feeling safe to express my feelings in her embrace.

"I know, baby," she murmured to me, and I noticed a tear falling from her beautiful, brown eyes. I could tell that her heart would have been breaking to see me like this, but at the same time she knew I needed to let it all out.

"I think it was j-just being h-h-here and not being able t-t-to do anything while life goes on like n-normal for everyone else. And knowing that I won't be able to do anything for a long time. Because wh-who can operate with one working hand?" I blubbered.

"Honey," she began, "you're right. You won't be able to use a scalpel for a while, and that sucks. But the important thing is that you **will** one day. And until that day comes, you can't let this stroke beat you. Because this crap doesn't just happen to my otherwise perfectly healthy, amazing wife for no reason. Something good will come from this. You're going to be a better person, a better doctor because of it. And when we make it out of this tunnel, you will be even more flawless than you are now, even though I'm doubting it's possible because you are already my favorite person in the world." She finished her speech to place a kiss on my tear-damp cheek. I turned my face so that our lips met and tried to pour all my feelings for her into a kiss, because they were too strong to sum up in words. It was too complex try to and explain how deeply connected I felt with her. She always knew what to say, how to make me feel better, and what I needed. Calliope Torres was everything to me.

"You're mine, too." I whispered when we broke apart, gasping for air, but still remaining as close to each other as possible. She cupped my cheek with her hand and caressed my cheek, as well as wiping away my tears which, although she'd made me feel somewhat better in that moment, were still flowing freely. It seemed like every time I'd felt that I'd finally come to terms with what happened- the stroke, some aspect of the situation that I hadn't considered would come up and slap me in the face. That grief did bring a grim sense of determination to me though, and I knew right there and then that I would make myself get through this. And I had my Callie to help.

I reached up to place my hand in her hair, locking it in her raven curls, and shifted even closer to her on the floor, so that we were sitting, facing each other, with our foreheads touching, our faces close to each other's. I spend the next minute enjoying the feel of her close to me, needing to rebuild my strength so that I could handle the rest of the journey through Seattle Grace Mercy West to our meeting with Derek. "It's not actually at ten past twelve is it? Because it's a quarter past now and that would make us very rude." I said, trying to instill some lightheartedness into the atmosphere. Callie chuckled sadly through her silent tears and shook her head.

"Honey, we're not due there for another five minutes, I just could tell you needed a second." She explained.

"Thank you, Calliope. You were completely right as usual." I said, glad to see a genuine smile spreading across Callie's face from my use of her proper name. I quickly reached out and tucked a lock of stray hair behind her ear. She caught my hand and held it there, keeping it against her skin, and then moved her hand up my arm only to snake it around my waist and pull my body against hers. The bottom of her shirt had been pulled up a little from the extension of her arm, and I got goosebumps from where the exposed skin of our stomachs brushed against each other. Electricity from her touch was dancing across my skin, pulsing through my body, and I leaned in and molded my lips against my wife's. My tongue probed around her lips, and they parted. I reveled in the taste of her, sweeter than chocolate, but at the same time spicy and hot like chili, mirroring her fiery personality. It was only at the last possible minute that we pulled apart, causing my head to spin. Callie's breathing was ragged beside me. "Whoa." I gasped.

"Yep." She agreed. She looked at me and our hands entwined as we stood back up. She reached over and released the stop button, the movement causing her shirt to ride up a little again. I shivered at the beauty of her exposed skin. She straightened up and turned to me, smirking. "Don't you think that I missed you checking me out there." She said in a mock scolding tone and laughed. I giggled with her, at the same time remembering how I must have looked and straightening my clothes, checking my hair and makeup, and finally placing a quick peck on her cheek as the doors opened.

**Callie's POV**

"Well, there are three nearby rehabilitation centers that I'd recommend. This one," he pushed forth a pamphlet with the words, 'no pain, no gain' written all over it, "is known for its aggressive approach. They believe that the faster and harder you work, the better. The people who use it need to be hardcore. The next one," he continued, this time showing us a book that had many happy looking people in a photo on the front, "is one that follows the idea that happy patients are good patients and tries not to pressure the people who go there, but rather to 'gently guide' them, as it says on the back. Oh, and there's this one," he said and pulled a thick pamphlet whose cover contained a large amount of complicated looking writing out of his briefcase, "a highly experimental option. It is always researching and developing new rehabilitation options." Derek looked up from the three books on the conference table in front of us and smiled.

"Looking at all my scans and my chart, what do you think what be best?" Arizona asked in a professional voice.

"Well, with this sort of thing it's not really about what medically works best, it's more what suits the needs of the patient best, and then the medical stuff follows." He responded kindly.

"But which one has a higher success rate?" She questioned, in a determined voice. Derek chuckled.

"Robbins, it's just where you'd be most comfortable. Every patient is different, and has different needs. I'll give you two a minute to discuss this." Derek nodded towards Arizona and me, then turned and departed from the conference room. Arizona looked at me expectantly.

"Well, I guess the choice is obvious." She said. I nodded and leaned across the table to pick up the 'happy' looking pamphlet. Sure enough, it looked like Arizona's type. I bet her roller-shoes would have fit in nicely there. I even saw a rainbow on one of the pages. She frowned at me, though and grabbed the one Derek had described as 'hardcore'. I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "What?" She said defiantly. She narrowed her eyes at the book in my hand. "Do you think just because I work in peds that I can't be hardcore? That I'm not bad-ass enough because I fix tiny humans and wear bear badges and smile lots that I'm soft?" She began to rant. "Well, I'l have you know that I've been around the block a few times. Like I told Bailey, I grew up with the name 'Arizona'. I learnt to how to play dirty in the playground! Plus, peds is the very definition of hardcore!"

"Whoa, calm down sweetie," I chuckled, "all I thought was that you are… perky! And I thought this would fit you a little better. I mean come on, this morning you said "super!" because I fixed your rollie sneakers. Now don't get me wrong, I completely love it about you, but wouldn't you enjoy this place a bit more? What's with the sudden obsession with being bad-ass?" I asked.

"Well…" she said quietly, "it's not the whole hardcore thing that is important… but this one is meant to be quick… I just want to get back to fixing those helpless tiny humans." Arizona looked up at me shyly.

"OK. If you think it's the best option. But promise me one thing."

"Sure!" She exclaimed.

"Promise me that you won't work yourself too hard, or push yourself more than necessary. I don't want you to forget the fact that you just had a stroke. A STROKE. Your body is fragile right now, honey. And surgery will always be waiting for you, not that I don't know how crappy it is not to be able to operate." I finished with a sigh.

"If I agree can I go here?" She said, pointing at the book she was holding. I nodded hesitantly. She beamed.

"Awesome!" Arizona squealed in delight. Her childlike happiness was so enthusiastic and highly contagious. I grinned at my adorable wife. I stood up and picked up my purse, putting the put the chosen pamphlet inside it, and slung it over my shoulder. Arizona took hold of my hand and we walked out of the room.

**A/N Hope you enjoyed this chapter. A big thank you to all those who added it to their favourites or their alert list. Hope everyone who ends up reading this has a 'super' day!**


	5. I'll Do Whatever It Takes

**A/N I did not create these lovely ladies, nor do I own them. I am just using them to create a story. They are all Shonda's.**

**Callie's POV**

On Arizona's first day of rehab, I awoke to the smells of waffles being baked dancing through the air and teasing my senses. I smiled to myself and rolled over, reaching out to squeeze Arizona gently on the shoulder, but finding only empty air. I got out of bed unwillingly and trudged my way to the kitchen.

"Hey babe, what's-" I began but stopped abruptly when I looked up from the ground and saw the scene in front of me. Arizona was standing in the middle of our kitchen, wearing my "rockstar" apron she got me for Christmas over her pajamas, in front of the stove which had a pan full of black mush being cooked on it. She was frowning, which was uncharacteristic for her so I knew it hadn't turned out how she'd been expecting. I walked up to her and cuddled her from behind with my head resting on her shoulder, fighting the urge to block my nose at the smell reeking from whatever food she'd been attempting to make. She smiled at my touch and turned around to hug me, sighing into my shoulder.

"I was going to try to do my first independent thing today, you know wake you up with breakfast in bed, and then I was going to go to rehab having started doing things on my own already. I mean so far, I can't even get dressed without your help unless it's something really easy to slip on. So I just wanted to... I don't know, maybe prove to myself that I will be able to do this sort of thing again one day. But I can't even make waffles." I pulled back to look into her eyes.

"Honey, I don't think it was the stroke that did it to you. You weren't that good of a cook before, if I remember correctly. Remember the time when you tried to make soup and it ended up being rock hard? So I don't think testing your culinary skills with one arm will give you any indication of how you'll recover." I teased. "But it did smell good for a minute there. I wonder what went wrong." She rolled her eyes and smiled sheepishly. I stroked her cheek. "Arizona, it doesn't matter to me that your arm isn't working yet. Or that you can't cook. I still love you. You know that right? You're my favorite, remember?"

"Ok, let's just go get dressed." She said. She took my hand and led me into our closet.

"By the way, I love dressing you because it gives me another excuse to check you out when you're barely clothed." I whispered. She turned to me, shaking her head.

"Like you need it!" She chuckled.

On our way to the rehabilitation center, I could tell Arizona was nervous. She didn't stop tapping her foot and was biting her bottom lip for the entire car trip with her eyes focused out the window. I reached across the gearstick and squeezed her knee to try to soothe her, receiving only a small smile in return before her eyes shifted back to the trees blurring past. I sighed to myself, hoping that the place where we were going would be good for her. Really, I just wanted _her _to be good again. And I'd do whatever it took for that to happen. I turned into the street of the rehab, and started squinting through the rain to try to make out the numbers on the places going by. 102, 104, 106, 108, and finally our destination, 110.

"Honey, this is it," I said, pointing to the building appearing before us. It was very institutional looking, as well as prim and proper, rather bare from anything warm and inviting. The center itself was a collection of modern grey buildings, all with the same sort of no-crap feel about them. Another clue was that there were no signs of life about. I frowned to myself. What was I getting her into?

"Well, all I can say now is that I'm glad I was brought up by a marine because it taught me how to handle strict instructions," Arizona said, taking in our surroundings. I nodded in agreement with raised eyebrows before driving around in search of a parking lot. "There's one right through here!" She said, pointing to her left. I turned in and found a spot easily. After killing the engine, I turned to face her.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" I asked hesitantly for the last time. She nodded solemnly. "Ok, then, let's get this show on the road!" I exclaimed. Arizona offered me a dazzling smile and hopped out of the car. As we walked along the perfectly aligned gravel path, she was clutching tensely at her purse despite her reassurances that she was fine. I put my hand into hers and lifted her chin up so that she was looking into my eyes, stopping our tread. "Honey," I whispered, "we've got this. You're a rockstar, remember? You're hardcore!" I told her and leant in to place a kiss on her perfect lips, and I have to admit I got lost in her for a second there (but seriously, have you seen that woman?), because the next thing that happened startled me completely.

Someone behind us cleared their throat unnecessarily loudly and we broke apart, turning to face the unknown intrusion to our moment. Arizona stiffened and had an embarrassed look on her face, but I wanted her to know that I wasn't ashamed to be with her in public, so I put my arm around her shoulder. I looked to the person near us and saw a woman of maybe fifty dressed in a pantsuit, with a stern expression on her face. She walked over to us, looked us both up and down, and stuck out her hand, all in a rather military-like order.

"Jamie Rick. Assistant manager. I specialize in treating ischemic stroke patients. And you two are?" she said in a voice full of authority. Arizona shook her hand.

"Arizona Robbins and Calliope- sorry, Callie Torres." She said, gesturing to herself and me. Jamie gave us a small smile accompanied by a curt nod, and kept walking along the path. I looked at Arizona whose expression mirrored my own: eyebrows raised and mouth slightly hanging open. That lady was strange, and I was sure about that. "W-O-W!" Arizona mouthed at me. I nodded, laughing at the cute expression that had taken over Arizona's face. At first she giggled with me, but broke off suddenly as grim realization dawned over her features. "But wait, what if she's **my** trainer? She makes my tight-ass Dad look like a freaking marsh mellow!" She whispered, her eyes wide.

"Then you'll have to just be so hard-core at this that she won't know what to teach you and you can regain proper movement and control quickly!" I said. Arizona rolled her eyes, and I lifted our entwined hands to kiss the back of hers. Her breathing hitched as I skimmed my lips up her arm and across her collarbone, finally landing on her mouth. She leant into me, and I rather enthusiastically caught her in a breathtaking kiss. When we broke apart, Arizona checked her watch and groaned.

"Calliope, we've gotta get going if we want to make it to our appointment on time. Which, judging by the looks of the place, we need to." I frowned and she smiled. As we trudged off down the path, there was one thought in my mind, that this place was going to work Arizona hard.

**Arizona's POV**

As Callie and I walked through the hall, I couldn't get over how neat and organized our surroundings were. Everything was so perfectly ordered and planned to the last detail. There were no signs of patients about, and the only indication of any nearby life form was the quiet trills of a phone ringing and being softly answered every few minutes. We turned into a spacious room which contained a receptionist at a clean, orderly desk and some waiting chairs. We'd got there with two minutes to spare, so we took a seat and waited. I stared out the window at the streaks of rain falling from the sky, watching the shapes they made on the glass, while Callie traced abstract patterns on the back of my hand absentmindedly. These small, everyday moments that would seem trivial to anyone else were one of my favorite things about spending my life with Callie.

We waited in a comfortable silence until exactly 9.00 am when a door behind us was carefully opened. A woman stuck her head out and spoke in a clear voice that echoed across the quiet room.

"Arizona Robbins?" I nodded as Callie and I collected all our things and walked into the room. "How are you today? I'm Leanne Harbor." The woman said as we both took a seat in front of the desk which she occupied.

"Good, thanks, and yourself?" Callie replied, smiled widely and causing my heart to speed up from her incomparable beauty. _How could anyone be so amazingly hot?_ I wondered to myself.

"I'm quite alright, thank you. So let's talk about Arizona here. It says in the paperwork you emailed us that she suffered from an ischemic stroke two weeks ago. And that she lost function in the left side of her body, could not speak normally, and had half of her face sagging down. Have you recovered any use of your limbs yet? Has your speech improved?" She asked, turning to me. I clenched my jaw.

"Well, within the first few days… afterwards, my face returned to normal and after a week or so I had my speech basically under control. My leg is almost ok for walking, but is still rather stiff and not easily controlled. As for my arm, well, I can lift it up and down, but I can't control anything below my shoulder." I explained in a bitter tone. I hated to talk about the stroke, especially because of how much it had managed to restrict my life.

"Have you experienced any tingling sensations in the affected areas since the stroke? Any numbness?"

"Only a small amount of tingling, but it was pretty consistent within the first few days, and I've felt a very mild amount of numbness in my arm."

"And what are your feelings as far as rehabilitation?" She asked inquisitively.

"Well, you see, I'm a pediatric surgeon and I really miss being able to save lives, so I would like to recover as swiftly and thoroughly as possible. I'll do whatever it takes." I replied.

"Well, you'll like it here then." She said, grinning. "Alright, let's see, you'll be trained by…" She flipped through the documents in front of her and pulled one out and set it on top. _Oh god, I hope it isn't the uptight one we met earlier, _I thought. Callie, sensing my unease, squeezed my hand reassuringly. "Patricia Williams. Her office is down the hall to the left, and then to the left again, first door you see." It wasn't until I exhaled loudly that I realized I'd been holding my breath. I was really glad I hadn't been assigned to the woman from earlier, she had just intimidated me too much. Callie thanked Leanne as we left the room, and I couldn't stop the feeling of relief that enveloped me as we walked through the corridor. That was, until we entered the office of my new trainer. Because, as she swung around to face us in her chair, I realized I knew her.


	6. Infamous Exes

**A/N I did not create these lovely ladies, nor do I own them. I am just using them to create a story. They are all Shonda's. **

**Callie's POV**

"Trish." In her surprise, the word slipped out of Arizona's mouth before she realized what she was saying. I glanced across the table at the unfamiliar woman and saw recognition dancing across her face.

"Well, if it isn't Arizona Robbins. I'll be damned." Patricia teased. I was surprised at the comfortable familiarity between them. She got out of her chair and walked over to us, giving Arizona, who was standing rooted to the spot, eyes wide, a big and rather lingering hug. In fact, I was fighting the urge to pull Patricia away from my wife when I saw her hands stray down to the small of Arizona's back. "How've you been?" She wondered when she finally released my wife, after what I'm sure must have been at least two minutes. But Arizona was still sending off waves of shock, almost frozen in place, so I thought it would be reasonable to step in.

"Great thanks, apart from the rather obvious dilemmas that an ischemic stroke would bring along. Callie Torres," I added, sticking out my hand which she shook, in a rather firm grip, I noted.

"It's a pleasure. May I ask how you know Arizona?" she replied, her eyes flicking between the two of us uncertainly. It was then that Arizona found her voice.

"She's my wife, Trish." She said quietly. Patricia's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and she gasped involuntarily.

"Who would have thought that Robbins here would have gotten up the courage to tie the knot?" She asked, laughing lightly. "I'm so happy for you two. Congratulations!" She exclaimed. Arizona smiled despite her awkward state, edging closer to me and winding her arm around my waist out of habit. I leaned into her and grinned, loving the closeness and the fact that Arizona was doing it to me, not that woman across from us.

"And how have you been? Last I knew, you weren't involved in rehab. I thought you were more of a neurologist." Arizona remarked.

"Well, you know, I decided it would be more rewarding and stimulating to shift my career a little. Keep life interesting, you know. And you, are you still a peds surgeon?" I smiled and Arizona nodded sadly.

"Well, I should be, but I kind of have something stopping me from that at the moment!" She said, pointing to her left arm.

"Oh! Right! I'm so sorry, I nearly forgot about the stroke stuff in the surprise of seeing you again." Patricia chuckled. "Let's get started on overviewing the basic routine we'll be following over the next few weeks, some of the main exercises we'll do, and a bit of background knowledge about this place."

**Arizona's POV**

"So, that's pretty much what we'll be doing." Trish finished, flourishing the pen she'd been using to point out details on a chart we were given. "You're lucky to have me, because I'm the softy of us all. The other trainers work you half to death. Even **our **routine will be a huge effort. But, knowing you, you'll be able to do it." She said thoughtfully. I nodded in agreement, looking at Callie who had been watching Trish and me with an eyebrow arched and a suspiciously pissed off expression on her face. She could tell something was up. I swear, that woman could read me like an open book. I felt on edge, not sure how to act with Callie Torres and Patricia Williams in the same room. I mean, there was my extensive history with Trish, and my life with Callie which both brought out different emotions and sides of me. "That's all you need to be here for today, but arrive here at 7.00 a.m. sharp tomorrow. That's when the hard work begins. It was lovely to see you again, Arizona, and great to meet you, Callie. Have a pleasant afternoon." Trish said, interrupting my thoughts.

"See you later!" Callie said with a wave and one of her amazing smiles. We shuffled out of the room together and made our way to the car. Callie stopped in front of me as we approached it, pausing to open my door for me. I smiled at the little things she did for me, loving her chivalry. In fact, she was acting completely normal about the whole thing. I was starting to think that I'd been overreacting about how she was going to take it all when, as we pulled out of the drive, she spoke up. "So…. **Trish**?" she asked with an sarcastic tone. I sighed. _So close!_ I thought. "Who is she? How did you know her? And why, why the hell would she feel that it would be even slightly ok for her to give you that kind of hug?" She demanded, in that voice she takes on right before she starts ranting in Spanish. I gulped. "Well Trish," I began but backtracked due to the look that was taking over Callie's eyes, "I mean Patricia, was my… Well, she was my girlfriend." Callie exhaled loudly and was visibly relaxing.

"Well, if she's just another one of your exes, why didn't you just say so?" She wanted to know. I bit my lip.

"Calliope. She's Patricia. **The **Patricia," I paused, measuring her expression. "Only when I knew her, it was Patricia Greene not Williams." At this, Callie went from relieved to pissed so fast, it was almost comical and would have made me laugh if I hadn't been the cause.

"And she's going to be your trainer?" She asked, a false calm taking over. Oh god, passive aggressiveness. So much worse than full frontal Latino swearing. I was in deep.

"Guess so." I said hesitantly. Callie shook her head, her eyes focused on the road ahead as she wound through the city of Seattle in the rain.

"I think we should call and arrange for someone else to take you. I mean, it's like at the hospital when they don't let us operate on family members." She said quietly. At that point I realized how hard it would have been on her. You see, Trish was my girlfriend before I moved to Seattle Grace. We started out as a medical team. We'd worked together on many high profile, experimental and difficult cases, and kicked ass. A neurologist and a peds surgeon, we made a good duet. I found myself being able to connect with her on another level, and we found it especially easy to combine our skills for the best possible outcome. As well as that, we were in love. Well, at least we thought we were, but since I've met Callie, I know what real love is. Anyway, I'd been dangerously close to giving up everything for Patricia. We were going to leave Seattle, get married and start a practice of our own. I was ready to sacrifice just about anything for her: my friends, my hard work at Hopkins, and my happiness. But in the end, we both realized that I wasn't truly happy with the way things were heading, and chose to go our separate ways.

I could see how it would look from Callie's point of view, so I thought it would be best to do what she wanted, because she filled me with such joy that I would have done anything to make her feel even a fraction of how happy I felt with her.

"Calliope, can you please turn here?" I asked. She looked in the direction I had gestured to and rolled her eyes. It was the way to our favorite park. I smiled as she grudgingly did as I'd requested. After the car made it up the steep hill and she turned off the car, I turned to face her. "I'm going to get out of the car. But you are going to sit here until I come back for you, ok?" She frowned questioningly, but still continued to follow my instructions. I got out and, while trying to shield myself from the persistent downpour, opened the trunk. I rooted around through the layer of debris that had accumulated and found the blanket that was always in there, along with two umbrellas and a towel, for once glad that we never got around to cleaning the car properly. After closing the trunk, I walked past where my beautiful wife was waiting, winking at her when we made eye contact. I strode as quickly as my stroke-affected leg would allow on a wet path to the seat that was our spot. I opened the two umbrellas, and positioned them over the bench so they made a little roof, only just big enough for two to sit under. I then proceeded to place the towel under them, to dry the rain sodden seat. After this, I went back to the car and flung open her door, and planted a quick kiss on Callie's cheek while reaching over her to unbuckle her seatbelt, and took her hand in mine, pulling her out of the car. She looked very cute in her surprised state, and I could tell she had no idea what was going on I my head. "Come on, you," I said, leading her along the trail to where I had made our little cubby. "Ta-da!" I giggled, throwing out my working arm as she laughed, shaking her head slowly at my childishness. "After you, my dear!" I joked as I moved one of the umbrellas so we could get under and then put it carefully back in place, although we were already soaked. That was where the blanket came in handy. Wrapping it around Callie and myself, I began my apology. "Callie, I'm sorry you had to have one of my infamous exes ruin your day, but I promise, if she coaches me, it would mean nothing to me. I'm over her. I love YOU. But if you want me to change trainers, I will. I'll get the crazy lady we met on our way in. Because there's only two things that matter to me. They are: your happiness and me being able to save the tiny humans again soon. Did I mention that I love you?" I added, and Callie chuckled.

**Callie's POV**

My heart melted at Arizona's genuine sweetness.

"I'm sorry, honey, I must have been a real grouch if you felt you needed to fashion this," I said gesturing around, "to make it up to me."

"Oh well, jealousy is a bitch. Trust me, I know. And I thought this would be fun, as well as the obvious benefits of making it up to you."

"Well, it wasn't your fault that those things happened. But you're right, this is rather… fun. It's nice snuggling!" I said, wiggling my eyebrows. Arizona giggled, flashing me one of her super magic smiles. Suddenly, I was overcome by awe at how amazing she was, and wanted nothing more that to be close to her. I pulled my arm out of the blanket and put it around her shoulder, bringing her as close to me as was possible without ruining the little haven she'd made with the umbrellas. I brushed my lips along the length of her collarbone until they reached her neck, then whispered in her ear, "You know, what I have in mind for you right now might not work with these umbrellas in the way, so do you wanna go back to the car?" I asked suggestively. She caught on to my mood quite quickly, or maybe was already headed there herself, but either way picked up the umbrellas and stood up.

Once back in the warmth of the car and out of the constant rain, I captured Arizona's lips in a searing kiss. My hands wandered along the expanse of her back, resting on her hips as her working hand tangled in my damp curls, locking my face against hers. Not that I would ever have dreamt of leaving her side at that moment. I needed her then, and I think she needed me too, because it felt like we were made for each other. In moments like those, it was plain to see. But I was still trying to figure out how someone as crazily perfect as Arizona could have ever wanted me. Not that I wasn't incredibly glad she did everyday.


	7. You've Nearly Got It

**A/N I did not create these lovely ladies, nor do I own them. I am just using them to create a story. They are all Shonda's.**

**Arizona's POV **

"COME ON, WORK HARDER! YOU'VE NEARLY GOT IT!" Irene yelled for the sixth time in my ear. I flinched under the pressure and tried once again to complete the task. I'd been at it for an hour- this one silly thing that should be simple. All I had to do was move my arm from below my elbow. Just an inch. That is something that shouldn't have even required a thought. I tried one more time, with all my might and concentration focused on the task. My right hand formed a fist with the effort, my nails digging into my skin, but I still couldn't manage to move my arm properly, only achieving a small shake. Irene sighed behind me. "You know that you could have done it. You just have to think about, and I mean really think about it." She said. As if I hadn't been doing so for more than sixty minutes.

"I think there's more to it than that. I mean, I've been doing exactly that this whole time. And nothing!" I muttered, pointing to my useless limb. It was so frustrating. I banged my right hand against the table angrily. _God! _I thought, _She should try being in my position before she freaking says that. _I could feel myself getting madder with each passing second, and with that I knew what would come. The tears. Which, in my opinion, was stupid. I mean Irene was only my trainer. Not even my boss. In fact, I was employing **her**. Not her me. She was not really in authority over me. Nevertheless, I felt two stray tears trickle down my face, which I hastily wiped away.

"What was that? Are you… crying?" She demanded, her tone filled with disgust.

"Um. No?" I said unconvincingly, accompanied by more of those traitorous droplets sliding down my cheek. She scoffed, narrowing her eyebrows. She was really starting to get to me. Looking at her, I realized I probably could have beaten her in a fight. She was a small lady, and although she was rather well built in the muscle department, she was only as tall as my shoulder with quite short limbs. If I hadn't had my stupid stroke, I could have put her in her place. But then again, my stroke was the reason that I was there and she was shouting at me. I bit my lip as my determination returned, and tried again, concentrating harder than ever. My eyes were scrunched shut in my efforts, so when Irene gasped next to me, I thought I'd finally done it, opening my eyes immediately. "Did I do it?" I asked hopefully, starting to feel proud of myself.

"Nope." She said gravely.

"Then what was the reason for you gasping?" I enquired, sinking back into my feeling of ultimate uselessness.

"I did not gasp, that was a sigh because I thought you would have been able to achieve that relatively small goal by now." She replied, much to my dismay. I'm sure you can see the reasons behind my outburst that followed.

"Ok, no. You know what? I am capable. I have a freaking Ph.D and a medical doctorate and I was the Chief Resident. Chief Resident. And now I'm the head of the Seattle Grace Mercy West Pediatric Surgery department. I am a rockstar! I'm hardcore and I'm badass, and I'm awesome! SO. You know what you can do? You can take that _sigh_ and shove it right up…" I stopped myself right before it got too ugly and took a deep breath, finally yelling, "I am capable!" and storming out of the room, walking as sophisticatedly as I could with my stiff leg. When I reached the entrance of the rehab, I pulled out my phone and tried Callie's cell, hoping she hadn't been dragged into some major surgery and would be free to pick me up. I frowned as the message tone sounded. I remember thinking to myself that it wasn't my day. I decided to go to the hospital to surprise her when she finished work. I normally would have walked, as it was only ten blocks from the rehab to the hospital, but my stroke had ruined my ability to walk too far without it taking a very long time. Sighing to myself, I called a taxi company and was answered by a perky receptionist. She told me that there would be a car at my destination within fifteen minutes.

I sat down against the wall, only just shielded from the light rainfall that was never far away in Seattle. At a loss for what to do, I opened the pictures file on my phone, scrolling through all those silly little moments that I'd thought to capture. There were tons of Callie, one of her that made me smile in particular. It was when she was still asleep one morning, with a look of serenity on her face that I barely got to see anymore. She looked so innocent and peaceful, it melted my heart. She was so beautiful, it took my breath away. I remember carefully climbing out of her embrace to grab my phone, never wanting to forget her amazingness at that moment. A tear rolled down my face as I thought of all the crap that had gone on since then. Now, I couldn't do many things independently, so she constantly had to think of taking care of me as well as her. I couldn't even drive myself, so she had to rearrange her schedule to fit my travel needs. She did so much for me, and though she smiled all the while, I knew that it would've been hard to handle. I was forever grateful to her. She was my everything. One that made me chuckle sadly was a picture of some craft that one of my peds kids had made me. It was a giraffe fashioned out of pipe cleaners. The smile that was on her face as she handed it to me was one I'll never forget. She was just out of chemo and thrust it into my hands as her mom wheeled her down the hall.

"Thanks for everything, Doctor Robbins!" She said with a giggle. Her name was Ally. She'd died six weeks after she gave me that, but I'll always remember how much of a fighter she was. Whenever I am in a dark situation, I just think of her and how she was brave until the end, and I know that I can do it. In a way, she reminds me of my brother. I was startled out of my reminiscence when a person strolled around the corner.

"What's got you laughing, Arizona?" Trish asked as she sat down next to me.

"Hi Trish," I smiled, hastily wiping away the tears on my face.

"Are you ok?" She said, her voice full of concern. "I didn't think your new schedule with Irene wouldn't allowed you time to be out here on your cell." She said, bitterness infused in her tone.

"It doesn't," I muttered sheepishly. "I kinda got pissed and stormed out." I explained, biting my lip. Patricia's mouth formed an o as a look of mock horror came over her face.

"Why ever would you want to do that?" She joked. I frowned at her sarcastically. "Well, I hate to say, 'I told you so,' but I did mention that I was a much easier trainer than the others. But hey, I guess you wouldn't know. I never got around to really training you. You switched therapists before I could show you my skills." She told me, with one eyebrow raised in an expression much like one of Bailey's.

"Trish, you know it's not you. It's just, Callie and I thought that with the history between us, it would be best if I had someone who wasn't, you know, emotionally attached."

"I guess. But we've always worked well together professionally, we make a very good team."

"I know. Still, I think it's best to do it this way. No feelings or anything getting in the way, just physical therapy. Oh look, my cab's here. Gotta go! See you later, Trish." I said, smiling as I got up and rushed through the rain to the cab. After I got in, I looked out the window to see Trish shaking her head slowly, something she used to do a lot when in my company. She was smiling. I waved to her through the foggy window, before turning to the front and telling the driver the address.

I arrived at the hospital five minutes later to find Cristina at the coffee cart in the foyer.

"Hey, Yang!" I called as I walked towards her, trying to catch her attention before she left. Her head turned around, and when she saw me, she broke into a smile.

"Robbins, hello! How's the recovery going?"

"Um, you know, ok. How are you?" I asked. She scowled.

"Altman has lost her mind again, she assigned Avery to **my** case. I did all the research and the practice, and she just gave it to him. It was a solo surgery, a coronary bypass, one of my favorite procedures. So I'm avoiding her. Until she comes to her senses." She explained in a very matter-of-fact tone, and then one of her devious ideas came to her. "Wait. You and Teddy are friends, aren't you? Maybe you could talk some sense into her, make her see properly-"

"Whoa," I said, cutting her off before she could get too far, "Sorry, but I'm here to visit Callie. Have you seen her at all?" She shook her head.

"But hey, I bet Altman has. And while you're asking her where your wife is, maybe you could slip in something about a coronary bypass?" She asked hopefully.

"Hey, I seem to remember something about you using me as a safety net for the merger? I don't think I'm gonna get you an awesome surgery after you took advantage of the tiny humans!" I replied frustratedly. "Nice try, though!" I said as I walked away. Cristina was left with her nose crinkled in a very childlike expression of distaste. I chuckled to myself as I thought of how I used to be just like her in the days of my residency. Driven to succeed. Hard-working. Able. Unlike now, when I couldn't move my arm an inch, let alone perform a solo surgery. I rounded a corner and was suddenly face to face with the OR board, and it was as cramped and messy as ever. My eyes automatically scrolled through it until they saw Callie's surgery. It was a massive trauma that was going to take at least another four hours, sadly. I asked on of the nurses, and they said that it had something to do with a Jane Doe and a car-versus-bicycle. Sounded messy. Callie would've been loving it. I could tell that when she got home later, she'd be grinning.

With my idea of surprising Callie momentarily postponed by the trauma, I strolled through the hospital absentmindedly, not really taking notice to where I was going, just having a look around to see if much had changed in my absence. Before I knew it, I was walking through the doors to the peds department. I halted in my tracks, not knowing if it would be too painful to do, but then deciding to go see some of my old patients. I stopped briefly at the nurses station, and saw Cathy, my preferred nurse for long and grueling shifts.

"Robbins!" She said. "It's a pleasure to see you back here again. How have you been feeling?" She asked, looking concerned. I smiled, enjoying her company. It felt sort of like old times. Before my stroke.

"I'm… ok, thanks. How've you been?" I asked.

"I'm well." She said.

"So, how're my patients?" I asked. "Have any of them been discharged? Oh, how did Aaron's valve replacement last week go? Was the doctor replacing me any good?"

"Jill Scotts from room 218 has been sent home, poor thing, she's still on bed rest and it's been quite hard for her. Harry Jenkins has also gone home, you know, room 321 with the cystic fibrosis. Aaron's valve replacement was good; and the new doctor is capable, I suppose, but he's not very well liked around here. No one compares to you with these kids, though. You're the best peds surgeon around." She told me. I grinned at her.

"Thanks, Cathy, that's why you're my favorite nurse." I replied. I reached over the desk and grabbed some of the charts, the ones with names that were unfamiliar. "Wow, there's a lot of new kids in." I remarked as I examined the files. I raised my eyebrows at the enormity of some of them. I should've been leading those cases, damn it.

"Well, you know, it's the busiest time of year. School holidays." She said, grimacing. I nodded in agreement, remembering some of my harsher cases that resulted from kids having too much spare time.

"Well, I'm going to go see some of the patients, I've been missing their smiling faces." I said as I walked away. "Bye!"

**A/N Special thank you to all those lovely people who've added this story/me as an author to their favorites/alerts, and also to those who've reviewed. I very much appreciate your feedback, and it's highly encouraging. I hope everyone who reads this has a lovely day**


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